James D. McEwan

The human drama in a fantasy world continues.

It’s been only a few months since I released Melody & Majesty, Kalleron Book I. Now, I’m happy to say the second instalment of the saga is nearly there. I’ve completed the first draft and a full edit. Next step is to hand it over to my reading group and wait for feedback. In the meantime, I’ve contacted the artist of the previous covers (Tithi Luadthong, AKA Grandfailure). I’ve sent a detailed design brief and, fingers crossed, hopefully we’ll get an epic and atmospheric artwork. I’m sure I’m a nuisance, as my requests are very specific, although it’s only because I want to control the narrative of my work. That is the only positive aspect of being an independent author—you control your intellectual property to the maximum. No publishers or editors asking you to rein it in, or telling you what words you can or cannot use. The downside, of course, is that without excellent marketing, I’m an invisible author relying on reviews and word of mouth. And, for what it’s worth, my reviews are five-star excellent. Here’s a snippet from my most recent review of Hammer & Glass from a Bookstagrammer:

I read a lot of books, so I start to see the same stories and ideas and tropes being used over and over again. Therefore, I award this book 5 stars for imagination, inventiveness and originality and look forward to going back to the beginning and finding out how it all started with part 1, Melody & Majesty.

the.evergrowing.reader

Book Two follows on from the exploits of Melody & Majesty, taking the story to a new region of Kalleron’s tangible fantasy world. There are pivotal plot developments and drama that steer the course of the entire saga. This episode really focuses on Petra’s arc in the saga, and it reinforces the influence of the elemental powers. It sets things up for Book Three, the last instalment in the initial series, tentatively titled the ‘Trilogy of Tears.’ After that, Book IV, Hammer & Glass, kicks off the second phase, the ‘Trilogy of Stone.’

 

Petra, our hero, in her younger days, looking moody.

I plan to release the sequel to Melody & Majesty, Kalleron Book One, in mid-September or early October. When the time is right, I’ll release another blog post to pitch the story. Until then, if you’re interested, you can read book one before I spoil the plot with a dashing and daring summary.

If you’ve not read book four, Hammer & Glass, it’s set one hundred years after the events of this trilogy. Although it contains elements that show what happens in books one to three, it won’t spoil them. My recommended reading pathway is book four first, then book one. Otherwise, if you start at book one, I’d not read Hammer & Glass until Book III comes out in Spring 2024 to read the lot in numerical order.